So when HP unveiled its latest Spectre x360 convertible at MWC, some tech fans wondered whether the device could be the bloatware-free Windows 8.1 laptop hybrid we've all been waiting for.

Design and buildThe Spectre x360 is very similar to Lenovo's Yoga line of devices in that it features a hinge mechanism that lets users set it in notebook, stand, tent or tablet configurations.

HP made a big deal about the hinge mechanism, claiming its use of three spiral gears makes it the most robust and smooth mechanism on the market.

Testing the mechanism we found it was indeed smooth to use and felt reasonably sturdy. When converting the Spectre X360 from a laptop into a tablet, the hinge never locked up and felt noticeably stronger than those seen on competing devices.

Built out of CNC aluminium, the rest of the Spectre x30 feels as robust as the hinge. Measuring 15.9mm thick and weighing 1.49kg, the Spectre is also reasonably travel friendly.

The 1.5mm travel keyboard and "extra wide" touchpad are also impressive. The keys have a nice snap that makes typing on the Spectre x30 a pleasant experience. The Spectre is also reasonably well stocked for ports, boasting full-size HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2 inputs and three USB 3.0 ports.

DisplayHP's loaded the Spectre x360 with a quad HD display complete with Panel Self Refresh (PSR) technology. The screen is "optically bonded" to the Spectre x360.

HP claims the bond radically improves display quality and increases brightness levels by "pulling each pixel up to the surface of the display".

The PSR tech is designed to improve the Spectre x360's battery life and has no noticeable impact on display quality.

Testing the display on the brightly lit MWC showroom floor we found that while colour balance and contrast levels were great, it was prone to picking up stray light and regularly became reflective - though to be fair to HP the showroom conditions were very harsh.

It's also worth noting that unlike many other convertables, the Spectre x360's display features active stylus support.

Operating system

The demo unit we tested came with Windows 8.1 pre-installed. The enterprise Pro version of the Spectre x30 is also available with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 Pro.

Putting aside the inherent benefits of Windows 8.1 for business and the incoming free upgrade to Windows 10, we were impressed how free of bloatware the device is: the only pre-installed non-Microsoft app we could find installed was a McAfee anti-virus tool that comes with a free one-year subscription and can easily be uninstalled.

PerformanceHP is offering the Spectre x360 with Intel Core i5 and i7 processor options and up to 8GB of memory. The HP Spectre Pro x360 features optional vPro support for enterprise customers.

As an added layer of security, HP's loaded both the standard and pro Spectre x360 models with trusted platform module (TPM) chips.

Sadly we didn't get a chance to benchmark the Spectre x360 or see how it coped with demanding tasks during our hands-on. However, during basic tasks like word processing and web browsing it performed well and we didn't notice any performance issues.

Battery and storageThe Spectre x360 is powered by a 56-watt hour battery HP claims will last up to 12.5 hours off one charge. Hopefully the claim is accurate as the Spectre x360's battery is non-removable.

The demo unit we tested featured a 512GB SSD, which HP told us is the top storage option available.

Price, release date and conclusionThe HP Spectre x360 is "expected" to arrive in the UK in mid-March 2015 with a starting price of £849. An HP spokesperson declined our request for further details about its UK price and release date.

Overall, while the Spectre x360 isn't terribly original, from what we've seen it is a fairly impressive convertible.

Featuring a solid metal design, wealth of processor options and active stylus support, the Spectre x360, on paper, is one of the most flexible hinged convertibles we've seen.

Hopefully it'll make good on its opening promise when we really put it through its paces for our full review.

We got a chance to play with the device while running between the booths at CES 2015.

DesignThe Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon looks all but identical to its 2014 predecessor, with the same black finish and red detailing.

The updated features are subtle, but very welcome. The laptop features an even thinner and lighter chassis, weighing just under 1.3kg and measuring 17.7mm thick, almost a full millimetre thinner than last year's model which measured 18.5mm.

The laptop felt especially light and thin in our hands and we can see it being ideal for travel or business trips.

Another new feature is PCIe SSD storage in a similar vein to the MacBook Air, which can take advantage of faster onboard SSD drive storage. The laptop will ship with up to 512GB drives.

As well as being nicely responsive to touch, the new Thinkpad X1 Carbon's screen is pleasant to look at. Using the Thinkpad X1 Carbon in the brightly lit showroom floor, the ultrabook's display proved suitably bright and remained legible even when hit with stray light.

We were also impressed with its viewing angles, as text remained crisp even when viewing the screen from the side.

Colours were suitably vibrant and, while not as crisp as the Retina displays seen on Apple Macbooks, the Thinkpad X1 Carbon's screen was far better than those seen on most competing Windows 8 ultrabooks.

The laptop will be available with FHD display options.

Performance and softwareLenovo didn't go for an Intel Core M design and instead opted for the chipmaker's latest 5th-gen Core processor. The model we tested was running a Core i7 chip, and felt super fast in our initial tests.

It seemed to handle Windows 8.1 very well. There was no lag when swiping between pages, and programs popped up almost as soon as we selected them. It handled everything we threw it at with ease.

Beyond its performance-boosting powers, the real benefit of Intel's new Broadwell chip architecture is its ability to boost ultrabooks' battery lives.

Lenovo lists the Thinkpad X1 Carbon as being able to last for 10 hours of regular use from one charge, one hour more than last year's Broadwell model.

Intel's Core update packs in 35 percent more transistors than in Intel's previous 4th-generation Haswell CPU, while also shrinking die size by 37 percent, allowing for super powerful machines with form factors like the XPS 13, so expect many more like it to pop up from other OEMs later this year.

In terms of other features, there's wireless connectivity in the form of 802.11ac Wi-Fi and a selection of USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI output.

Availability The ThinkPad X1 Carbon starts at $1,249 and will be available in the US from January. UK release dates are yet to be announced.

We got some hands-on time after the event to see just how good the XPS 13 is in reality.

DesignThere's no question that the Dell XPS 13's design and high quality aluminium finish juxtaposed against a matt charcoal casing looks the part and reflects its premium price.

However, it measures 15mm at its thickest point so it's definitely not the slimmest 13in laptop on the market. But it's impressively compact considering its high-end specifications.

The XPS 13 is also lightweight for its power at just 1.18kg. The smaller frame with bigger screen makes it feel slightly heavier than you'd expect for an 11in laptop but, considering this is actually a 13.3in device, we were very pleased with its size and weight.

Dell has made good use of high quality materials and the XPS 13 impressed us with its tiny bezel, design and build.

It feels well made and has a high quality finish, and as a result feels like it would be a pleasure to use. And the super-thin bezel has left us screaming: "Why on Earth didn't they do this before?!"

ScreenThe touchscreen display is one of its finest features. It's an UltraSharp Quad HD+ infinity display with 5.7 million pixels in just a 5.2mm bezel. It's vibrant and clear, and colour reproduction is great. Colours appear very rich, just like on its older brother the XPS 15.

Brightness levels are brilliant, and we can imagine working on the XPS 13 outside, although not in direct sunlight as with most mobile devices.

KeyboardThe XPS 13's keyboard has good travel, allowing you to type rapidly with ease.

Unlike some other laptops we've tested recently, the XPS 13's keyboard didn't fail to register keystrokes. But the well-spaced layout of the keyboard means that the XPS 13 doesn't have a numerical keypad.

Performance and softwareRunning Windows 8.1, the XPS 13 is powered by Intel's 5th-gen Broadwell Core processors and takes advantage of solid state drive options for storage.

In our tests, it handled Windows 8.1 very well. There was no lag when swiping between pages, and programs popped up almost as soon as we selected them. It handled everything we threw it at with ease, probably owing to the new Broadwell processor.

Intel's Core update packs in 35 percent more transistors than in Intel's previous 4th-generation Haswell CPU, while also shrinking die size by 37 percent, allowing for super powerful machines with form factors like the XPS 13, so expect many more like it to pop up from other PC makers later this year.

In terms of battery life, Dell has said the XPS 13 will last for a huge 15 hours on a single charge. We're definitely looking forward to trying this out in a full review.

AvailabilityThe Dell XPS 13 will be available from 20 January starting at £1,099 in the UK. The Developer Edition will be available from late January starting at £1,199, so it certainly doesn't come cheap.

Windows 8.1 hasn't really taken off in the PC market, let alone the tablet one. Despite its lack of widespread adoption manufacturers around the globe have been experimenting with new sizes, hoping to better show off the touch-focused operating system's finer points.

Design and buildThe Iconia Tab 8W has a slightly different design to past Android-powered Iconia tablets. The most noticeable difference is that the Iconia Tab 8W features a grooved, as opposed to smooth, textured polycarbonate backplate and metallic sides. It also features a reasonable selection of ports, including MicroSD, MicroHDMI and MicroUSB inputs.

While some may argue the white demo unit we tested looks cheap, we were fairly impressed with the design. As well as looking different to most tablets, thanks to its 9.8mm thickness and light 370g weight, the Iconia Tab 8W felt comfortable to hold and is suitably bag friendly.

We were also reasonably impressed with the tablet's build quality. It felt reasonably scratch and dirt resistant and left us reasonably assured it could survive regular wear and tear.

DisplayAcer has loaded the Iconia Tab 8W with an 8in 1280x800 HD in-plane switching (IPS) display. While the display's resolution isn't anything to write home about when compared with competing 8in Android or iOS tablets, we were reasonably impressed.

Thanks to the IPS tech – which works to improve the display's colours and whites by organising the liquid crystals used to create them on a fixed plate that's charged at a consistent rate – the Iconia Tab 8W's screen was pleasant to use. Colours were suitably vibrant and the display was fairly bright.

Text and icons were also crisp and generally readable. The only issue we noticed was that in certain situations text displayed on the Iconia Tab 8's screen could look slightly squashed. This was particularly true when viewing webpages in Windows 8.1's desktop mode, though being fair to Acer this is an issue for all 8in Windows 8.1 devices.

Operating system For businesses and people with productivity in mind, the inclusion of Microsoft's Windows 8.1 operating system will be a bonus. As well as having the ability to run legacy Windows applications, the OS also comes preloaded with a one-year complimentary subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal, granting users access to key productivity services such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook.

This means those looking to carry out demanding tasks on the Iconia Tab 8W, such as 3D gaming, will be disappointed, though considering its low price of £125 this isn't all that surprising.

That said, when faced with basic text-editing and web-browsing tasks, we didn't notice any performance issues, meaning it could still be a good choice for buyers who want a basic productivity aid or internet access point for when they are on the move.

Storage and batteryThe Acer Iconia comes loaded with 32GB of internal storage, which can thankfully be upgraded using its MicroSD card slot and is powered by an unspecified battery Acer claims will offer users eight hours of multimedia use off one charge. We didn't get a chance to test the tablet's battery life during our hands on, but if Acer's projection is correct it'll be fairly standard.

OverallWhile we're still not convinced Windows 8.1 works on small form-factor tablets, considering the Acer Iconia Tab 8W's low cost, it does definitely have potential and could hold some allure to buyers on a budget when it is released later this year.

Featuring a good display for its price, and what appears to be reasonable performance, coupled with one year's free access to Office 365, we can see the Iconia Tab 8W being a great choice for business buyers looking for an affordable travel companion for web access and document editing on the move. However, a big factor determining if the Iconia Tab 8W will make good on this promise is its battery life, one key thing we didn't get a chance to test during our hands on.

Since Microsoft first entered the tablet hardware market in 2012 it has been promising users the world, claiming its Surface series of devices would be able to function equally well as both tablet and laptop.

But because of a number of niggling flaws in the first two Surface Pro tablets' design and software, they fell somewhere between the two categories and didn't fully deliver on Microsoft's promise.

As a result, when Microsoft returned to the stage earlier in May to unveil its latest Surface Pro 3 shouting the same message as before, some buyers were justifiably skeptical.

Since then these doubts have grown and many buyers have been wondering exactly what changes have been made to differentiate the Surface Pro 3 from its predecessor, the Surface Pro 2, to let it deliver on Microsoft's "one device to rule them all" promise.

Design and buildThe Surface Pro 3 features a completely reworked design to previous Surface devices, with Microsoft having worked to make its new tablet as light and thin as possible.

During our tests we were impressed with the Surface Pro 3's design and found the light aluminium tablet-laptop hybrid looks a lot sharper than its predecessor. Despite featuring a larger display the Surface Pro 3 is significantly lighter and thinner than the Surface Pro 2, measuring in at 292x201x9.1mm and weighing 800g.

The Surface Pro 3

We found the thinner and lighter design makes the Surface Pro 3 feel significantly more travel friendly and comfortable to use as a tablet than the 274x173x13.5mm, 907g Surface Pro 2.

What's more impressive, though, is that even though the Surface Pro 3 has less real estate along its sides, Microsoft has still managed to load it with USB 3.0 micro SD and Mini DisplayPort inputs.

Adding the new Type Cover and putting the Surface Pro 3 in laptop mode, we were equally impressed during our early tests. Unlike the Surface Pro 2, which has a kickstand that only features two standing options, the Surface Pro 3 can be manually adjusted to stand at custom angles.

While this sounds small, it's a serious upgrade. The ability to set which angle the Surface Pro 3 stands at not only makes it easier to rest and use the device on your lap, this also makes it more pleasant to use when doing tasks such as digital painting with the device's stylus. This is because the new kickstand let us set the Surface Pro 3 to sit at the same angle as a proper drawing board or Wacom tablet PC when doodling.

Microsoft has done some good work to improve the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover's trackpad. The Surface Pro 2 Type Cover's trackpad was one of its worst features, being too small for comfortable use and featuring unresponsive capacitive right and left click buttons. Microsoft has worked hard to fix this on the Surface Pro 3's Type Cover and has made the trackpad significantly larger and added physical left- and right-click buttons.

The Surface Pro 2

During our hands on we were impressed by how much more responsive the Surface Pro 3's Type Cover was than the Pro 2's, making it easier to use as a laptop replacement when editing Word documents or loading copy into a content management system, for example.

DisplayMicrosoft made a lot of fuss about the Surface Pro 3's 12in ClearType Full HD 2160x1440 resolution screen at the device's launch. Specifically Microsoft claims that, as well as being 38 percent bigger than the Surface Pro 2's 10.6in ClearType Full HD 1920x1080 resolution screen, the Surface Pro 3's 12in display is able to display twice as many pixels.

During our hands on, we did notice a clear difference in quality between the two tablets' displays and found the Surface Pro 3 is significantly sharper and clearer. That said, we did notice, like the Surface Pro 2, the Surface Pro 3's display is still slightly prone to picking up stray light.

SoftwareBoth the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 2 run using the latest version of Microsoft's Windows 8.1 operating system. This means users will have access to key Microsoft security and productivity services, such as Office, OneDrive, OneNote and Lync.

But thanks to the inclusion of the Surface Pro 3's upgraded digital stylus, it is easier and more pleasant to take advantage of the services than it is on Microsoft's previous tablet. Unlike the Surface Pro 2's polycarbonate digitiser stylus, the Surface Pro 3 is made of metal and features a number of improved shortcut features.

OneNote is a good example of this. Unlike the Surface Pro 2, OneNote can be activated at any time, even when the tablet is in sleep mode, simply by pressing down on the stylus's rear button. Once activated the app offers a blank page for Surface Pro users to scribble notes on, and a second push of the rear button will save the notes to the user's OneDrive cloud storage account. Little touches like this made the Surface Pro 3 feel slightly slicker and easier to use than its predecessor. Hopefully we'll find more nice touches when we write our full review.

ProcessorUnlike the Surface Pro 3, which is available in Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 options, the Surface Pro 2 is only available with an i5 chip. Microsoft claims that the top Intel Core i7 Surface Pro 3 option will offer 10 percent better performance than the Surface Pro 2. Sadly we didn't get a chance to test Microsoft's claim as the demo unit we tested was powered by an Intel i5 Haswell processor. We didn't get a chance to see how the Surface Pro 3 performed with demanding tasks, such as large digital painting projects or 3D gaming, but found it was nippy and responsive when doing basic tasks such as word processing.

CameraMicrosoft claims the Surface Pro 3's upgraded 5MP rear-facing camera will offer radically better imaging performance than the Surface Pro 2's 3.5MP unit. Sadly we didn't get a chance to test the Surface Pro 3's camera during our hands on, but will be sure to in our full review.

Storage and batteryBoth Surfaces feature the same 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB internal storage options, though Microsoft lists the Surface Pro 3 as being able to last a full hour longer than its predecessor, listing it as offering up to nine hours of web browsing off one charge.

PriceThanks to its more varied chip offering the Surface Pro 3 is the more affordable option, with prices starting at £639 for the 64GB Intel Core i3 model. By comparison the 64GB Surface Pro 2 costs £720.

OverallHaving had an opening look at the Surface Pro 3 we are very impressed. Featuring a radically improved, slimmer and lighter design, a more varied array of processor options and a larger and clearer display the Surface Pro 3 feels like a serious step up from previous Microsoft tablets.

From what we've seen the Surface Pro 3 has the potential to finally make good on Microsoft's "one device to rule them all" promise. Hopefully our positive impressions will ring true once we put the Surface Pro 3 more thoroughly through its paces in our full review later this year.

TAIPEI: Microsoft unveiled its long-rumoured Surface Pro 3 tablet last month with a bigger and better 12in HD screen, touting it as "the tablet that can replace your laptop".

The Surface Pro 3 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor with an Intel Haswell processor, and is set to be made available in Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 chip variants.

Intel, which has worked closely with Microsoft, gave us a close look at the tablet at the Computex trade show in Taiwan this week, powered by a Core i5 CPU and running Windows 8.1.

Design and buildMeasuring 9.1mm thick, the Surface Pro 3 is the thinnest Intel Core product "ever made", according to Microsoft, which it credits to the device's "fanless build". It might not sound like a vast improvement over the Surface Pro 2, which was 13.5mm thick, but you'll immediately notice a huge difference in aesthetics. It is much nicer to hold owing to the thinner design, and it's apparent that Microsoft has made an effort to make the device much more attractive to consumers.

The Surface Pro 3's aluminium chassis feels robust and this makes the device feel expensive, probably because it is. It will retail from £849 for the Core i5 model when Microsoft launches it on 31 August. However, it's reassuring to think that you're getting premium kit for your money.

Picking up the tablet we noticed that it feels much lighter compared with the Surface Pro 2, despite its larger screen size. Unfortunately, one thing that hasn't changed with the Surface Pro 3 is the keyboard dock. We are simply not fans of this, especially the coloured version that we saw in our hands-on review. Not only does it cheapen the overall look of the device but we found that it makes it difficult to use because of the odd layout of the trackpad and cheap-feeling keys, which have poor travel.

Although Microsoft has updated the trackpad, which we can confirm works much better than the previous version, it feels more akin to those found on full-size clamshell laptops.

On first impression we were rather impressed with the overall design of the Surface Pro 3. Its best feature is the display upgrade. This is the first time we've seen a Surface device with a form factor that actually makes us want to use it.

ScreenThe Surface Pro 3's 2160x1440 resolution HD display is the tablet's biggest overhaul since the previous iteration and is also now its nicest feature.

While it's around 1.5in bigger than the Surface Pro 2, it feels much bigger in the hand, which is probably accentuated owing to the slimmer design. It's quite bright and the resolution doesn't lie - images displayed are impeccably detailed with no jagged text and with deep colour representation. It also proved very responsive to touch in our tests, in the same way the Surface Pro 2 did before. The updated screen is a welcome improvement over the Surface Pro 2's 1920x1080 display.

KickstandThe Surface Pro 3's kickstand is also an improvement over the last version, which had only two angles to choose from. The Surface Pro 3's "full friction" kickstand allows the tablet to sit in almost any position, and in our tests it rested well at any angle without slipping, even when applying pressure to the screen.

Microsoft has said that an optional docking station will also be available at or sometime after launch, allowing users to hook the tablet up to a 4K display. It will ship with a Digitizer Stylus, too, which we can confirm works accurately.

PerformanceUnfortunately we didn't have long enough with the Surface Pro 3 to really put it through its paces, but we did have a quick play around. Operations were fluid and the Windows 8.1 operating system proved very responsive. However, we are looking forward to testing the Surface Pro 3 thoroughly in a full review.

The Core i5-powered Surface Pro 3 will hit the UK sometime towards the end of August, priced at £849 and £1,109 for 128GB and 256GB storage options respectively.

Considering the popularity and very recent refresh of the Macbook Air line, many buyers have been left wondering whether the Surface Pro 3 has the on-paper specifications to make good on Microsoft's claim.

Apple has constantly prided itself on the Macbook Air designs, claiming that they are among the lightest and most elegant laptops in in the world. Aware of this, Microsoft has looked to outdo Apple, designing the Surface Pro 3 to be lighter and thinner than the Macbook Air 13in.

Microsoft has made a lot of claims about the Surface Pro 3's 12in screen, one of the most interesting of which is that, despite being smaller, it will let users view and interact with "six percent more content than they can on a 13in Macbook Air". This is apparently due to its custom 3:2 aspect ratio and, if true, will make the Surface Pro 3's display one of the best currently available on a laptop-tablet hybrid.

Both the Surface Pro 3 and Macbook Air 13in run on the latest version of their respective companies' operating systems. This makes picking which is better difficult as the answer is determined mainly by user preference and the ecosystem in which they are already embedded.

The Surface Pro 3 comes with more varied chip options than the Macbook Air, being the only one of the two currently available running Intel's affordable Core i3 as well as its more premium Core i5 and Core i7 processors.

The Surface Pro 3 is the only one of the two devices to come with a rear camera. However, considering our experience using previous tablet cameras, we're not holding out high hopes regarding the Surface Pro 3's imaging quality.

The Surface Pro 3 comes with a more diverse range of storage options than the Macbook Air 13in. The two devices are also evenly matched when it comes to price, with the 128GB Core i5 model of the Surface Pro 3 and Macbook Air 13in both costing £850. However, for those willing to sacrifice a bit on storage and performance, the Surface Pro 3 is the more affordable option, with the 64GB Intel Core i3 model costing a more modest £639.

BatterySurface Pro 3: Up to nine hoursMacbook Air 13in: Up to 12 hours

On paper the Macbook 13in easily beats the Surface Pro 3 and will last a full three hours longer on one charge.

OverallOn paper there is a lot to like about the Surface Pro 3, even when compared with Apple's ever popular Macbook 13in. However, being powered by Windows 8.1, an operating system that is far from universally loved even by diehard Microsoft fans, many may still opt for Apple's current flagship Air laptop irrespective of the two devices' hardware when the Surface Pro 3 is released this August.

Check back with V3 later this year for a full review of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

Microsoft's entry into the hardware market was a slightly bumpy one. While taken as a game changer, Microsoft's first ever own-brand Surface Pro featured a number of niggling flaws that hampered its overall appeal, chief of which was its poor battery life.

Luckily, one year on Microsoft learned from its mistakes and released what in many people's eyes, including us here at V3, was one of the finest tablet-laptop hybrids, the Surface Pro 2. As a result, with Microsoft having once again chosen to radically rework the design of its latest Surface Pro 3, many have justifiably wondered how the new hybrid compares with its predecessor.

Despite featuring a similar magnesium chassis and set of port options, the Surface Pro 3 is significantly bigger than its predecessor. Making up for this, though, unlike the Surface Pro 2, the Surface Pro 3's Kickstand isn't limited to two standing options and can be set to a variety of angles, meaning it should be more pleasant to use as a laptop.

Microsoft claims that, as well as being 38 per cent bigger than the Surface Pro 2's, the Surface Pro 3's 12in display is able to display twice as many pixels. If true the display will be one of the best seen on any Windows 8.1 tablet.

SoftwareSurface Pro 3: Windows 8.1Surface Pro 2: Windows 8.1

Both of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets run the latest Windows 8.1 software version. However, the Surface Pro 3's larger display is likely to make using Windows 8.1 in the desktop mode more pleasant than it is on the Surface Pro 2.

Taking photos on tablets is never a pleasant experience but, as we noted in our review, the Surface Pro 2 was particularly bad at it. Coming with a higher megapixel rear camera, the Surface Pro 3 will hopefully offer better imaging performance.

Despite offering the same set of storage options, the Surface Pro 3 is the more affordable option thanks to its more varied chip offering, with prices starting at for £639 for the 64GB Intel Core i3 model. By comparison the 64GB Surface Pro 2 costs £720.

Microsoft claims that the Surface Pro 3 will offer superior battery life to its predecessor and will last up to nine hours from one charge. During our tests, the Surface Pro 2 generally lasted around seven to eight hours.

OverallOn paper the Surface Pro 3 is a significant step-up from the Surface Pro 2, offering a more diverse range of chip options, larger and crisper display, and significantly lower starting price.

Hopefully, the Surface Pro 3 will make good on its on-paper promise when it arrives in the UK this August. Check back with V3 later for a full review of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3.